Watch the video.
The Socratic Method roots out mistaken beliefs in a process similar to “Via Negativa,” or stumbling toward truth by confirming what a thing isn’t.
Nassim Taleb defines Via Negativa as, “The principle that we know what is wrong with more clarity than what is right, and that knowledge grows by subtraction.”
If we can’t identify an object in the sky, but our investigation determines that it wasn’t a flock of birds, nor an airplane or a blimp, we’re closer to the truth.
One negative observation can disprove a claim or theory, while millions of positive ones can never definitievly confirm it.
Thomas Edison knew this. After many months of seeking a filament for his lightbulb, he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
If you want to move toward truth, first identify what is false.